Brian McCullough, writing for InternetHistoryPodcast.com:
Aside from the naming similarities, though, InfoGear’s iPhone would have plenty of other eerie similarities to Apple’s later device, both philosophically and technically.
For one thing, just as in Steve Job’s famous mantra, the InfoGear iPhone was designed to do three core things (phone calls, email and light web browsing) but to do them well. And from the very beginning, there was an almost Apple-like obsession with simplicity and ease of use. Interested in presenting an approachable, consumer-friendly image, InfoGear hired Frog Design, famous for the previous industrial design of various Apple and Mac computers.
I remember this product. Interesting that it was called the iPhone and did the big three: email, web, and phone. Fun read.
Privacy campaigners and open source developers are up in arms over the secret installing of Google software which is capable of listening in on conversations held in front of a computer.
First spotted by open source developers, the Chromium browser – the open source basis for Google’s Chrome – began remotely installing audio-snooping code that was capable of listening to users.
It was designed to support Chrome’s new “OK, Google” hotword detection – which makes the computer respond when you talk to it – but was installed, and, some users have claimed, it is activated on computers without their permission.
Some folks are calling this evil. I don’t think there’s any evil intent here, at least not on Google’s part. But the use of this approach to do evil is obvious.
My two cents: I think every computer manufacturer should include a switch to disable the microphone and camera, a switch that is impossible to override remotely.
When attempting to install iOS 9 on a device with insufficient space, there’s a popup that offers to temporarily delete some apps in order to make room for the update. Apps that are deleted are then reinstalled and replaced after the operating system update is completed.
This is a fantastic idea. A bit of a hack, made necessary by an OS update size that outgrew the smallest iOS device capacity. But a terrific idea, nonetheless.
Kirk McElhearn takes a quick tour through seven (six, really, with a seventh on the way) iOS browsers. Good to know the strengths and specialties of each. A short browse, worth your time.
Apple has added flyover support to more than 30 new locations in 2015, bringing the total number of 3D locations to 150. In April, the company added a number of new European cities to the list.
And if you’ve never played with flyover, go to Apple Maps on your Mac or iOS device, then type one of the flyover locations in the search field. As an example, you might start with:
Colosseum, Rome
Once the map appears, tap the location pin, then tap the popup window that appears (on the Mac, click the info icon, the small circle with the letter “i”) and select “Flyover Tour”. Obviously, this option is only available in the locations that support it.
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The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) announced today that Apple, Inc. has become a Promoter member of the Bluetooth SIG. Promoter members are the sole voting class on Bluetooth SIG corporate matters and hold a continual seat on the SIG Board of Directors.
Current Promoter members Ericsson, Intel, Lenovo, Microsoft, Nokia, and Toshiba unanimously welcomed Apple to the highest membership level of the organization.
As the press release states, Apple has been a member of the group for years. This new status obviously means they will have more of a say over the future of Bluetooth.
While Adobe provides an excellent range of products, some photographers are looking to expand their horizon with more affordable alternatives.
Emulsion is described as a 3rd party photo cataloging software designed to replace Apple’s in-house Aperture photo editing and management program.
For $50 you can pick up Emulsion, which allows non-destructive editing, metadata manipulation, photo organization, and more. A free thirty-day trial is also available for those who would like to give the software a thorough run before purchasing. Current requirements for Emulsion include Mac OS X Yosemite and 4 GB of RAM.
As the review points out, if you’re already a Lightroom user, this app isn’t any better. But, if you don’t need all the features of Lightroom, Emulsion looks like a good alternative.
Have you ever found yourself driving behind a semi-trailer truck? If you’re on a single-lane highway or road, it can be a nightmare. Even though the truck is driving relatively slowly, you cannot overtake it due to its size, and because you cannot see what is happening in front of the truck.However, Samsung has developed a solution that may make this problem a thing of the past.
This is a very clever idea, but it may be too expensive for most trucking companies. Additionally, numerous regulations would likely need to be changed to make it feasible. Companies also need assurances that the technology won’t simply be used to show even more advertisements to motorists stuck behind semis. However, for those looking to streamline their financial operations, resources like truckercfo.com can provide valuable insights and support, making it easier for trucking companies to adapt to new technologies and regulations while maintaining profitability.
Mass merchant giant Walmart has introduced an Apple Watch application, suggesting that the device could have a broad market appeal while cementing the retailer’s role as a leader in mobile retail.
While there has been no shortage of marketers jumping in with Apple Watch apps since the device, Walmart’s entry here is notable given the retailer’s value positioning, which is in stark contrast to the $349 starting price for the Apple Watch. Walmart’s app is an extension to the retailer’s iPhone app, enabling customers to use their Apple Watch to check items off their shopping list while they shop without having to take out their phone.
As a reminder, Walmart is the biggest name behind CurrentC, the competitor to Apple Pay, created by the Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX).
Apple Inc. takes Chinese consumer tastes into account when it designs many of its products, Chief Executive Tim Cook said, underscoring the country’s importance to the iPhone maker.
The company considers details including color palettes to suit local tastes, Cook said in an interview in the June 17 Chinese-language version of Bloomberg Businessweek, published under license by Modern Media Holdings.
The decision to offer a gold iPhone last year reflects in part the popularity of that color among Chinese users, he added. Greater China, which includes Taiwan and Hong Kong, is now Apple’s second-largest market and has become a battleground for the company as it vies with Samsung Electronics Co. and Xiaomi Corp. for smartphone supremacy.
This is a statement that will surprise some but really shouldn’t. China is poised to take over as Apple and the world’s largest market for consumer goods. It makes good business sense to cater to it whenever possible.
I just love Pad & Quill’s products. The workmanship and care put into every aspect of their bags is top notch. I own one of the bags already, but that backpack is calling my name. They also have a new briefcase available.
If you are not a weekend reader, chances are you missed a lot yesterday.
First, yesterday morning, Taylor Swift posted an editorial laying out her thoughts on Apple not paying musicians during the three month Apple Music trial period.
Swift’s editorial got incredible traction. The blogosphere caught fire. Unusual, given that it was a Sunday and Father’s Day (here’s our writeup about Swift’s post and Jim’s plea for Apple execs to give up their salaries for three months to pay those musicians). This was clearly an issue that touched people deeply.
Then, yesterday evening, Eddy Cue posted this bit on Twitter:
#AppleMusic will pay artist for streaming, even during customer’s free trial period
We’ve been hearing a lot of concern from indie artists about not getting paid during the three-month trial period, which was never our intent. We never looked at it as not paying them.
We had originally negotiated these deals based on paying them a higher royalty rate on an ongoing basis to compensate for this brief time. But when I woke up this morning and saw what Taylor had written, it really solidified that we needed to make a change. And so that’s why we decided we will now pay artists during the trial period and we’ll also keep the royalty rate at the higher rate.
Clearly, Taylor Swift’s post was that last straw, the lever that moved the world. But also telling is Cue’s comment about royalty rate. As a reminder, one of the articles that started this whole brouhaha was this post from re/code. In it, Apple’s Robert Kondrk addressed the Apple Music royalty rate:
Kondrk says Apple’s payouts are a few percentage points higher than the industry standard, in part to account for the lengthy trial period; most paid subscription services offer a free one-month trial.
The key words here are “in part to account for the lengthy trial period”. My sense here is that Apple thought they had a fair solution. Pay a higher rate, and in the long run, the artist will make more money. The problem with that approach, obviously, is that the artists didn’t buy into it.
The pleasant surprise is that Apple will keep that higher rate in place, during and after the free trial period. Perfect.
Now the only question is, will Taylor Swift return the favor and give Apple Music the ability to stream her massively popular 1989.
After a lot of bad press and a letter from Taylor Swift bringing attention to the cause, Apple Senior Vice President, Eddy Cue said on Twitter that artists will be paid for streaming music, even during the three-month Apple Music trial.
We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple
Apple is going to offer users a three-month trial for its new Apple Music streaming service. That’s good. However, Apple will not pay the artists for any music streamed during that time. That’s not just bad, it’s downright wrong.
Apple is taking a risk by starting the streaming service, but it seems that it’s the musicians that are being asked to pay the price. That doesn’t seem right to me. If it’s Apple’s risk, it should be Apple paying.
I know a lot of people talk about the promotion artists will get, but you can’t ask someone to work for free. People ask me to write articles for them all the time, and then tell me, “we don’t pay, but you’ll get tons of exposure.”
Sorry, exposure doesn’t pay the bills.
While there are artist that can take the hit, like Taylor Swift, there are a lot of artists that just can’t afford this. What’s more they shouldn’t have to even consider it as an option.
In the U.S., Apple will pay music owners 71.5 percent of Apple Music’s subscription revenue. Outside the U.S., the number will fluctuate, but will average around 73 percent, he told Re/code in an interview.
Apple won’t pay music owners anything for the songs that are streamed during Apple Music’s three-month trial period, a bone of contention with music labels during negotiations for the new service. But Kondrk says Apple’s payouts are a few percentage points higher than the industry standard, in part to account for the lengthy trial period; most paid subscription services offer a free one-month trial.
In that same article, Spotify shot back at Apple, saying:
Spotify spokesman Jonathan Prince points out that Apple offers its own free music via its iTunes Radio service, and will offer more via the Beats 1 radio service that it will launch alongside its paid service; Apple will pay music owners a much lower fee for music streamed on those options, which don’t allow them to call up songs on demand. Says Prince: “We pay royalties on every single listen, including trial offers and our mobile free custom radio service, and that adds up to approximately 70 percent of our total revenues, as it always has.”
I am disappointed in Apple. If the company feels so strongly that someone shouldn’t be paid for the three-month trial, why don’t the top ten executives at the company give up their salaries, bonuses, and stock for three months and pay the artists instead.
Lots going around about Apple Music and the deal that has artists not getting paid during the three month trial period.
There are many sides to this issue. There’s the business spin, the long view that Apple should do whatever is necessary to compete against Spotify and the like, with a long term win for artists as they weather the move from paid downloads to streaming.
There’s a comparison to other services, like HBO Now. Does HBO pay their fees to shows when they offer a free, three-month trial?
Artists signed the deals they signed. If they gave their labels the power to negotiate this deal with Apple, some of that anger certainly should go to the contract they signed.
There’s the non-business, fairness issue. Is it fair to an artist that Apple uses their music to build a customer-base without compensating that artist?
And there’s the view that Apple should follow a specific path because of their cash position.
A few days ago, this story took a turn when Taylor Swift announced that she would not allow Apple to include her hugely popular album, 1989, as part of the Apple Music stream.
The first response to this news was, this was not about Apple, that Swift was making a business decision regarding streaming in general.
Then, this morning, Taylor Swift released a blog post entitled, To Apple, Love Taylor.
From the post:
I write this to explain why I’ll be holding back my album, 1989, from the new streaming service, Apple Music. I feel this deserves an explanation because Apple has been and will continue to be one of my best partners in selling music and creating ways for me to connect with my fans. I respect the company and the truly ingenious minds that have created a legacy based on innovation and pushing the right boundaries.
I’m sure you are aware that Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. I’m not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.
To deflect criticism that this move is self-serving, Swift continues:
This is not about me. Thankfully I am on my fifth album and can support myself, my band, crew, and entire management team by playing live shows. This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field…but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs.
This is a growing public relations problem for Apple. At some point, does this become a big enough issue to erode the gains to their business model?
Swift concludes her post with this:
But I say to Apple with all due respect, it’s not too late to change this policy and change the minds of those in the music industry who will be deeply and gravely affected by this. We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.
A well written, savvy post by Swift. Whether heartfelt or Machiavellian manipulation, her post will no doubt be seen by millions of her fans and, most importantly, millions of potential Apple customers.
Apple’s discontinuation of the iPad mini leaves the remaining iPads as a completely 64-bit family, all using either A7 or A8X processors rather than the iPad mini’s aging A5. It also means that all remaining iPads have Retina displays and unified Wi-Fi + Cellular models.
This ought to help Apple’s supply chain management. If you can get a good deal on an original iPad mini, it continues to make an excellent book reader.
Update:Benjamin Mayo points out that the iPod touch is still 32-bit and several people point out that the iPhone 5c is also 32-bit. True enough. Remind me not to post before I’ve had my coffee.
Jim and Dan talk about how the Apple Watch has changed Jim’s life for the better.
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IMAX’s letter is part of a disturbing trend in which some companies believe that owning a trademark actually allows them to control any speech about their product. Too many examples abound already of trademark owners that believe they’re entitled to control how movies and TV shows portray their brand.
IMAX has taken that to the next level here, believing it is entitled to literally silence someone speaking to a journalist because the name of a corporation happened to slip out of his mouth.
Good to see both Ars Technica pushing back against this kind of corporate bullying and IMAX’s apology after they realize how badly they screwed up.
As someone with an extremely complicated relationship with his three dads, this video had me in tears thinking about all the things I wish I could have said to them and all the things I wish I could have heard them say.
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Josh Constine, writing for Tech Crunch, asked Edward Snowden this question:
“CEO Tim Cook recently took a stand on privacy and Apple’s business, saying “some of the most prominent and successful companies have built their businesses by lulling their customers into complacency about their personal information. They’re gobbling up everything they can learn about you and trying to monetize it. We think that’s wrong. And it’s not the kind of company that Apple wants to be.”
Do you think Cook’s perspective genuine and honest, and how do you think it will play out long-term with regards to it hurting or helping Apple’s business, or whether Apple will keep this promise to privacy?”
Snowden’s response:
“I think in the current situation, it doesn’t matter if he’s being honest or dishonest. What really matters is that he’s obviously got a commercial incentive to differentiate himself from competitors like Google. But if he does that, if he directs Apple’s business model to be different, to say “we’re not in the business of collecting and selling information. We’re in the business of creating and selling devices that are superior”, then that’s a good thing for privacy. That’s a good thing for customers.
Interesting quote and article. Follow the headline link for more.
Buzzfeed followed five coders, all of them girls, all of them winners of full scholarships to this past WWDC.
I absolutely love this video. My favorite moment was about 2:30 into the video, when the scholarship winners get the chance to meet Tim Cook. One of them whispers:
Thanks for encouraging diversity and giving us a shot.
Over the past few days, a lot has been written about this report from Indiana University. Researchers dig into what they call a cross application resource attack (XARA).
From the paper:
Our research leads to the discovery of a series of high-impact security weaknesses, which enable a sandboxed malicious app, approved by the Apple Stores, to gain unauthorized access to other apps’ sensitive data.
The paper goes into great detail on some pretty serious vulnerabilities. You can learn the basics about these forms of attack in Rene Ritchie’s What you need to know post.
From the What should we do? section:
No one needs to panic, but anyone using a Mac, iPhone, or iPad should be informed. Until Apple hardens OS X and iOS against the range of XARA exploits, the best practices for avoiding attack are the same as they’ve always been — don’t download software from developers you don’t know and trust.
Frustrating, but true. To learn more, you can start by reading this article by Nick Arnott, which digs into more detail on the exploits. And, of course, you can read the original paper.
Stay careful and know the source of any application you run, same as always.
